T3 Podcast | Those Who Leave No Trace in Space Have No Voice on Earth - Serdar Hüseyin Yıldırım

In this episode of the T3 Podcast, we welcome Serdar Hüseyin Yıldırım. The podcast provides a comprehensive overview of Yıldırım’s insights on the importance of space activities, the mission of the Türkiye Space Agency (TUA), the objectives of the National Space Program, and its vision for the future.

Serdar Hüseyin Yıldırım, an aerospace engineer by training, is the founding president of the Türkiye Space Agency (TUA). TUA was established to define, regulate, oversee, and represent Türkiye’s strategies in space. Although Yıldırım describes the agency’s establishment as a “delayed endeavor,” he emphasizes the rapid pace of its current activities to demonstrate Türkiye’s determination in this field.

Yıldırım underscores that space is no longer merely a technological competition but has become a matter of survival. Today, critical systems ranging from communications and intelligence to military operations and scientific research are managed from space. Therefore, it is emphasized that a country without a presence in space cannot have a meaningful voice on Earth.

Türkiye’s roadmap for space, the National Space Program, includes bold objectives:

• Moon Mission: The goal is to achieve a hard landing on the Moon by the end of 2023 and conduct scientific research on the lunar surface via a soft landing by 2028.
• Human Spaceflight: In celebration of the Republic’s 100th anniversary, a Turkish citizen will be sent to the International Space Station (ISS) through international cooperation to conduct scientific experiments.
• Space Access and Spaceport: The aim is to develop launch vehicle technology and establish a commercial spaceport.
• Regional Positioning and Timing System (RPTS): The goal is to develop Türkiye’s own regional positioning system.

While acknowledging that space activities are costly, Yıldırım argues that these expenditures are a matter of “survival.” He notes that investments in space generate economic returns three to four times greater than the amount spent, benefiting other sectors as well.

Yıldırım emphasizes that young people play a pivotal role in Türkiye’s space journey. He advises them to be idealistic, strive to do their best work, and not limit themselves to technical knowledge but also engage with culture and the arts. TUA organizes various initiatives to encourage youth and promotes exploring the connections between space and all disciplines.

Yıldırım highlights that every step of the National Space Program is an integral part of the National Technology Initiative. He states that these two concepts mutually reinforce each other and serve the development of high-technology capabilities for the future.